Re: Weed

YankeePerm@AOL.COM
Sun, 8 Dec 1996 14:30:51 -0500

Try mulching the stuff with hay that has been cut too late and has lots of
grass seeds. Mow it closely and use strip grazing. You will never get rid
of it, short of nuclear detonations, but you can suppress it. It is
important to use short grazing rotations and mow the ground ivy as close as
possible.

You might also experiment with viney legumes that can compete with it such as
vetches or annual field peas, just to weaken the stand. Obviously, you will
have to fence the animals out of the area temporarily while doing this. If
the ground ivy is heavy, you should be able to sow seed directly into it and
mow the ivy to cover the seed. Another important cover crop to try is
buckwheat, sown the same way. Buckwheat is suitable as a component of
grazing.

Plowing is a waste of time and energy unless you plant a crop such as corn or
potatoes that can smother the ground ivy. Youd have to do that several years
running. Surely, you have a problem that is just going to a measure of added
work for as long as you run sheep.

For Mother Earth, Dan Hemenway, Yankee Permaculture Publications (since
1982), Elfin Permaculture workshops, lectures, Permaculture Design Courses,
consulting and permaculture designs (since 1981), and now permaculture
correspondence training with an email classroom. Copyright, 1996, Dan &
Cynthia Hemenway, P.O. Box 2052, Ocala FL 34478 2052. YankeePerm@aol.com

If its not in our food chain, we're not thinking.